Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

This amendment seeks a report on the investigation of child maintenance. We have had positive conversations with the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection about that. I came away from the meeting with the Minister feeling encouraged that she not only understands the issue but wants to take charge and consider how we can improve the system for mothers. I thank her for taking up that brief so soon and for really paying attention to the plight of single mothers.

This amendment is born of years of experience within my community and in my work of women having to take the responsibility for sourcing maintenance from fathers with the father floating around, never receiving a letter or any communication from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection or other areas forcing him to pay the maintenance. It is an unfair burden on the mother who is already raising her child alone, trying to make ends meet and do all the normal things that mothers do, such as deal with health care and school appointments, and everything that goes with the role. It is an unfair and unequal system that expects a mother to pursue the maintenance. My research into legislating for this area began two years ago and when I examined it I found it was a minefield because in addition to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, it is in the courts system and the Department of Justice and Equality has a role in how the courts proceed and deal with maintenance. I wanted to get a report on how to marry those areas so that they work together to advance child maintenance. England was my first port of call. There was an okay system there at first but it then moved it to a privatised one. That was worrying. When it was first set up it was government run. Now it is semi-privatised which worries me because the client must pay the maintenance recovery unit to seek out the maintenance.The client then has to pay the recovery maintenance unit to seek the payment of maintenance which is not ideal for some, although I could be wrong about how the system works. The mother should be removed completely if she cannot access maintenance naturally from the father. If he does not offer her the money, she should not be forced to pursue him for it. There are many situations, but this is not ideal across the board, even if the relationship between the parents is healthy. It will have a negative impact on the rearing of the children if the parents are fighting constantly about the payment of maintenance. I ask the Department to consider laying before the House a report on how we can address this issue. It would have benefits overall, not only for the mother but also for the State because the more the father has to contribute in the rearing of his children, the less the State will have to intervene in the process. It could, therefore, have a positive outcome overall for the mother and the children but also for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in the provision of welfare grants and all that is available in that regard.

I will not press the amendment to a vote, but I ask the Minister to accept it and prepare a report on the matter. I am interested in hearing what she has to say.